In 2010, motor vehicle crashes accounted for less than 1 percent of fatalities among people 70 and older.
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 2013. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), 2010 fatal injury data. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html. People ages 70 and older are less likely to be licensed to drive compared with younger people, and drivers 70 and older also drive fewer miles. However, older drivers are keeping their licenses longer and driving more miles than in the past.

Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase noticeably starting at age 70-74 and are highest among drivers 85 and older. The increased fatal crash risk among older drivers is largely due to their increased susceptibility to injury, particularly chest injuries, and medical complications, rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes.
Li, G.; Braver, E.R.; and Chen, L.H. 2003. Fragility versus excessive crash involvement as determinants of high death rates per vehicle-mile of travel among older drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention 35:227-35.

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 4,052 people ages 70 and older died in motor vehicle crashes in 2011. This is 31 percent fewer than in 1997, when deaths peaked, but a 7 percent increase since 1975. Deaths of older people were 3 percent lower in 2011 than in 2010. The rate of fatalities per capita among older people has decreased 45 percent since 1975 and is now at its lowest level.

Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people 70 years and older, 1975-2011

Year

Population

Deaths

Rate

1975

14,563,945

3,775

25.9

1976

14,960,120

3,896

26.0

1977

15,401,249

3,859

25.1

1978

15,876,541

3,824

24.1

1979

16,388,617

3,772

23.0

1980

16,897,977

3,861

22.8

1981

17,322,714

3,871

22.3

1982

17,783,888

3,655

20.6

1983

18,233,751

3,734

20.5

1984

18,662,938

4,052

21.7

1985

19,072,785

4,206

22.1

1986

19,463,480

4,445

22.8

1987

19,890,817

4,555

22.9

1988

20,302,280

4,925

24.3

1989

20,719,397

4,943

23.9

1990

21,164,283

4,844

22.9

1991

21,751,897

4,843

22.3

1992

22,321,217

4,901

22.0

1993

22,800,673

5,221

22.9

1994

23,243,845

5,425

23.3

1995

23,693,757

5,509

23.3

1996

24,056,323

5,578

23.2

1997

24,408,817

5,872

24.1

1998

24,793,551

5,798

23.4

1999

25,092,805

5,657

22.5

2000

25,559,879

5,379

21.0

2001

25,797,467

5,425

21.0

2002

26,005,326

5,332

20.5

2003

26,200,946

5,363

20.5

2004

26,337,518

5,106

19.4

2005

26,658,669

5,047

18.9

2006

26,884,798

4,636

17.2

2007

27,135,517

4,631

17.1

2008

27,521,034

4,291

15.6

2009

27,786,270

3,995

14.4

2010

27,832,721

4,171

15.0

2011

28,520,353

4,052

14.2

Seventy-six percent of people 70 and older killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2011 were passenger vehicle occupants, and 16 percent were pedestrians. Since 1997, deaths of older passenger vehicle occupants have declined 35 percent, while deaths of older pedestrians have declined 32 percent. Although few older adults are killed while riding motorcycles, this number has risen. Almost 6 times as many motorcyclists 70 years and older were killed in 2011 than in 1997.

Motor vehicle crash deaths among people 70 and older, 1975-2011

Year

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths

Pedestrian deaths

Motorcyclist deaths

Other motor vehicle deaths

All motor vehicle deaths

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

1975

2,302

61

1,348

36

5

<1

120

3

3,775

1976

2,490

64

1,291

33

7

<1

108

3

3,896

1977

2,370

61

1,383

36

11

<1

95

2

3,859

1978

2,515

66

1,214

32

9

<1

86

2

3,824

1979

2,391

63

1,277

34

10

<1

94

2

3,772

1980

2,399

62

1,344

35

14

<1

104

3

3,861

1981

2,495

64

1,278

33

11

<1

87

2

3,871

1982

2,430

66

1,124

31

9

<1

92

3

3,655

1983

2,547

68

1,081

29

13

<1

93

2

3,734

1984

2,764

68

1,164

29

20

<1

104

3

4,052

1985

2,933

70

1,170

28

10

<1

93

2

4,206

1986

3,166

71

1,157

26

9

<1

113

3

4,445

1987

3,276

72

1,160

25

18

<1

101

2

4,555

1988

3,540

72

1,271

26

17

<1

97

2

4,925

1989

3,658

74

1,180

24

9

<1

96

2

4,943

1990

3,525

73

1,195

25

22

<1

102

2

4,844

1991

3,690

76

1,044

22

11

<1

98

2

4,843

1992

3,801

78

997

20

13

<1

90

2

4,901

1993

4,076

78

1,012

19

17

<1

116

2

5,221

1994

4,291

79

1,021

19

15

<1

98

2

5,425

1995

4,368

79

1,008

18

11

<1

122

2

5,509

1996

4,492

81

951

17

17

<1

118

2

5,578

1997

4,748

81

931

16

21

<1

172

3

5,872

1998

4,683

81

965

17

18

<1

132

2

5,798

1999

4,587

81

885

16

23

<1

162

3

5,657

2000

4,406

82

807

15

34

1

132

2

5,379

2001

4,389

81

878

16

36

1

122

2

5,425

2002

4,287

80

845

16

36

1

164

3

5,332

2003

4,377

82

777

14

48

1

161

3

5,363

2004

4,113

81

763

15

41

1

189

4

5,106

2005

4,016

80

777

15

68

1

186

4

5,047

2006

3,681

79

707

15

62

1

186

4

4,636

2007

3,661

79

726

16

72

2

172

4

4,631

2008

3,401

79

603

14

108

3

179

4

4,291

2009

3,194

80

578

14

80

2

143

4

3,995

2010

3,246

78

628

15

121

3

176

4

4,171

2011

3,097

76

631

16

120

3

204

5

4,052

In 2011, 62 percent of the deaths in crashes involving passenger vehicle drivers 70 and older were the older driver themselves, and 15 percent were their passengers. Twenty-three percent of deaths were occupants of other vehicles or motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians. In contrast, in crashes involving at least one passenger vehicle driver younger than 30, 42 percent of the deaths were the drivers younger than 30, 23 percent were their passengers, and 35 percent were occupants of other vehicles or motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians.

Population and mileage rates

In 2011, motor vehicle crash death rates per capita increased at ages 70-75 among males and at ages 65-69 among females. Across all age groups, males had substantially higher death rates than females.

Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people by age and gender, 2011

Age

Male

Female

Total

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths*

Rate

<16

33,400,220

757

2.3

31,957,722

584

1.8

65,357,942

1,341

2.1

16-19

8,989,443

1,723

19.2

8,497,764

868

10.2

17,487,207

2,592

14.8

20-24

11,312,700

3,074

27.2

10,841,132

1,025

9.5

22,153,832

4,100

18.5

25-29

10,761,515

2,312

21.5

10,518,279

764

7.3

21,279,794

3,077

14.5

30-34

10,282,648

1,793

17.4

10,228,056

627

6.1

20,510,704

2,420

11.8

35-39

9,761,311

1,554

15.9

9,832,998

541

5.5

19,594,309

2,095

10.7

40-44

10,462,159

1,612

15.4

10,571,486

616

5.8

21,033,645

2,228

10.6

45-49

10,952,701

1,816

16.6

11,205,304

627

5.6

22,158,005

2,443

11.0

50-54

11,066,546

1,961

17.7

11,493,652

673

5.9

22,560,198

2,634

11.7

55-59

9,816,051

1,632

16.6

10,439,497

520

5.0

20,255,548

2,152

10.6

60-64

8,542,154

1,326

15.5

9,264,438

498

5.4

17,806,592

1,824

10.2

65-69

6,071,930

882

14.5

6,801,858

467

6.9

12,873,788

1,349

10.5

70-74

4,404,383

744

16.9

5,203,567

438

8.4

9,607,950

1,182

12.3

75-79

3,232,738

603

18.7

4,155,949

422

10.2

7,388,687

1,025

13.9

80-84

2,340,295

533

22.8

3,446,248

377

10.9

5,786,543

910

15.7

≥85

1,894,025

499

26.3

3,843,148

436

11.3

5,737,173

935

16.3

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

In 2008, the rate of passenger vehicle driver fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled began to increase noticeably at age 70-74. Drivers 85 and older had the highest rate of fatal crash involvement.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 2013. [Unpublished analysis of 2008 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the National Household Travel Survey]. Arlington, VA.

Passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes by age and crash type, 2011

Age

Multiple-vehicle intersection crashes

Other multiple-vehicle crashes

Single-vehicle intersection crashes

Other single-vehicle crashes

All crashes*

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

16-19

589

20

926

31

132

4

1,325

45

2,972

100

20-24

859

18

1,711

35

267

5

2,061

42

4,898

100

25-29

675

18

1,378

36

214

6

1,538

40

3,805

100

30-34

604

19

1,240

39

187

6

1,172

37

3,203

100

35-39

479

18

1,063

41

136

5

921

35

2,599

100

40-44

516

19

1,079

41

140

5

917

35

2,652

100

45-49

531

20

1,100

41

144

5

914

34

2,689

100

50-54

540

21

1,048

41

112

4

836

33

2,536

100

55-59

467

22

886

42

91

4

679

32

2,123

100

60-64

428

24

727

40

100

5

565

31

1,820

100

65-69

318

24

531

40

81

6

413

31

1,343

100

70-74

315

28

442

39

44

4

335

29

1,136

100

75-79

308

33

334

36

39

4

240

26

921

100

80-84

268

34

284

36

34

4

193

25

779

100

≥85

308

44

214

31

33

5

144

21

699

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Pedestrians

The rate of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 was generally higher for people 75 and older than for people younger than 75, although the rate for people ages 50-54 was similar to that of older people. The rate was especially high among males ages 85 and older (3.7 deaths per 100,000 people). For all age groups the rate of pedestrian deaths per capita was higher for males than females.

Pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people by age and gender, 2011

Age

Male

Female

Total

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths*

Rate

<13

27,051,867

105

0.4

25,898,241

66

0.3

52,950,108

171

0.3

13-15

6,348,353

57

0.9

6,059,481

36

0.6

12,407,834

93

0.7

16-19

8,989,443

136

1.5

8,497,764

65

0.8

17,487,207

201

1.1

20-24

11,312,700

269

2.4

10,841,132

87

0.8

22,153,832

356

1.6

25-29

10,761,515

233

2.2

10,518,279

110

1.0

21,279,794

343

1.6

30-34

10,282,648

199

1.9

10,228,056

83

0.8

20,510,704

282

1.4

35-39

9,761,311

193

2.0

9,832,998

84

0.9

19,594,309

277

1.4

40-44

10,462,159

199

1.9

10,571,486

88

0.8

21,033,645

287

1.4

45-49

10,952,701

294

2.7

11,205,304

115

1.0

22,158,005

409

1.8

50-54

11,066,546

368

3.3

11,493,652

119

1.0

22,560,198

487

2.2

55-59

9,816,051

278

2.8

10,439,497

78

0.7

20,255,548

356

1.8

60-64

8,542,154

214

2.5

9,264,438

86

0.9

17,806,592

300

1.7

65-69

6,071,930

142

2.3

6,801,858

72

1.1

12,873,788

214

1.7

70-74

4,404,383

124

2.8

5,203,567

71

1.4

9,607,950

195

2.0

75-79

3,232,738

104

3.2

4,155,949

73

1.8

7,388,687

177

2.4

80-84

2,340,295

81

3.5

3,446,248

48

1.4

5,786,543

129

2.2

≥85

1,894,025

71

3.7

3,843,148

59

1.5

5,737,173

130

2.3

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Alcohol

Six percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers 70 years and older in 2011 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent, compared with 17 percent for drivers ages 60-69 and 40 percent for drivers ages 16-59.